The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-23
THE SHADOW ON THEIR HEARTH.
Some Complications that Arose from
the Familys Efforts to Dispel 1t.
Hmm the NeIr Ynrk SIN


the Family's Efforts to Dispel 1t.
From. the Nei0 York Sun
HARRISBURG, Pa, Nov. 19--Prof. j. R.
Sherrard, Superintendent of the Lawrence
County Common Schools, lives in Shenango
township, that county, in fine residence
surrounded by orchards and vineyards and
fertile fields. The professors wife and his
2O-year-old son John share his pastoral re-
treat John has won local fame as base
ball umpire The family is happy, and but
one thing has ever crept in to disturb its
peace That disturber hasn't crept in ex-
actly either. Sometimes it has come in
with jump over five-rail fence. Some
times it has unlocked the garden gate
with its horn and stalked in as unblush-
ingly as the ightning-rod agent. If
the six-foot bars of the pasture lot have
bade it pause sometimes, it has paused only
long enough to butt down the bars and
come III with a crash. This shadow on the
Sherrard hearth is cows 1t seems as if
every cow in the township regarded itself
as a candidate at large for a place at Prof.
Sherrard's orchard, garden, or front yard,
and loses no opportunity to prove its eligi-
bilitv and make its election sure. This pre-
objection on the part of the township COW to
pass In and occupy the Sherrard premises,
besides being a lurking menace to domestic
tranquility, so to speak, was tough on the
hired man. He had to protest, at all hours,
with clubs and stones and an occasional
shotgun, against this prediction, and it dis
turbed his slumbers, and broke his rest So
he resigned few days ago and left the
Sherrard family alone with its sorrow
The night after the hired man left Prof
Sherrard woke up and heard the tramp of
cows in his orchard. There beng no hired
man to show the sweet breathed kline the
HIe
resolved to go out and eject them himself
His wife was asleep, and for fear of waking
her he did not dress himself, merely draw
ing on his slippers.
EThis night shirts enough to have on to
drive cows out at midnight" said he. sit
won't take long, anyhow"
Then the Professor tip-toed out of the
house and went into the orchard to evict
the cows. Shenango township COWS are
or break down panel of fence to get into a
lot, but when you go to drive them out
they pretend they don't know how in the
world to get out, although ten rods of
broken down fence may yawn for them
and open gates confront them at every turn.
So Prof Sherrard was still engaged in the
inspiriting effort to surround and head off a
half dozen cows that persisted in taking as
many different directions in evading the
open panel of orchard fence when his wife
awoke and found him gone. She was startled
for moment, but remembered the shadow
on their hearth.
''Cows!n she cried, and sprang out of bed
She went to the window and, looking out,
saw the awful sight of the Superintendent
of Common Schools of Lawrence county,
robed in his night shirt, chasing impudent
and obstinate cows around and around his
orchard, lodging like a spectre in and out
among the trees, but plunking stones at the
cattle with unmistakable corporal vim.
ooh, mv!n said the wife, 81 wonder if
hadn't better go help him shoe them outl'
Waiting only long enough to slip on her
shoes, she hurried out, and presently there
were two whitehead figures fitting about
in the orchard on the trails of headstrong
COWS. The Professors wife had not been
long with him in the midnight roundup
when Mr.. John Sherrard, the son, quit
sleeping. He rose up in bed. He listened.
''Cows!" said he.
John got up He put on his trousers, his
hat, his coat, and his shoes.
''I'll slip out quietly" said he, land throw
these cattle over the fence without waking
up the old folks"
He went out of the front door, The com
bined efforts of the Professor and his wife
iG seemed, had convinced the cows that il
was the desire of the family that they should
go away, and they were going away just as
John reached the yard The cows were
passing along toward the gate. John drove
them all out, and then turned to re-enter
the house, when he saw two white figures
coming toward him along the orchard fence.
Now, there had been reports in that part OF
the township that certain persons had, at
different times, seen ghost stalking abroad
at midnight, or thereabout, now at one
place and then at another. John had heard
these reports, and when he saw the two
white figures moving in the orchard he was
startled. But he wasn't scared. He had
umpired too many base ball games to be
scared by little thing like ghosts.
''Hellor' said he to himself. "Here's the
Shenango township spookl wonder who's
the fraud he's got along with him"
Then John stopped down and picked up a
stone He threw it in the direction of the
spectres 1t whizzed past their heads, and
quick as a fash they turned and ran back d
few yards, and lodged down in a fence
corner
"I'll have sassAs fun with these ghosts,
said John. asa he began bombarding the
fence corner with stones. They ratified
about on the ground, and by and by one Of
the ghosts shouted in a deep, masculine
voice:
Hey there! Let up on this, or I'll have
you arrested"
That struck John as being so funny that
ne made up MS mDd TO go Dack ana wake
his father up, and tell him about it. He en-
tered the professors room. The light was
burning and showed the empty bed. A
glimmer of something shot across Johns
mind
Roaring Jupiterl" he exclaimed, and
started for the yard again. Before he got
out of the house the back door was thrown
open, and two painting and fiustered figure.
in white, with mud on their clothes, came
hurIiedly in. They looked at John, and
John looked at them. AT last John said, il
mock surprise:
"What in the worlds the matter, ant
whereof
'Cowsl" exclaimed his mother, "and you
ought to be ashamed of yourselfl"
"Cowsln exclaimed his father, land yol
pack 20 rself back to bed, sir!"
: Then they all went to bed, and the shadow
on the Sherrard hearth deepened.